Lady Gaga Reminds Us Why Breakups Can Rock

Rumor has it Lady Gaga's cooled things off with her "cool Nebraska guy," aka rocker-wannabe Luc Carl. Although the two (who originally got together in 2005, broke up, then reunited last year) have done the on-again-off-again thing before, it sounds like they are currently no longer an item. Details are hazy, but Gaga said on England's The Graham Norton Show ...

I don't have a boyfriend and haven't been on any dates recently. I'm miserably pathetic in my wedding dress ... I haven't been on any dates recently because I have been working so hard and I get very bored very quickly with men.

I'm kinda disappointed, because on one hand, I always root for the Cinderella rom-com fairy-tale Hollywood ending. But on the other, I'm thinking it's a good thing. Judging from how she's holding her head high as she continues to internationally promote Born This Way, seems like Gaga knows it, too. Breakups can be blessings in disguise.

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Think about it ... Gaga didn't write her smash hit albums The Fame and The Fame Monster while she was in a happy, monogamous, solid relationship with Luc. Hells no! She was inspired by heartbreak ("Bad Romance," "Paparazzi") and enjoying/struggling through the single life ("Monster," "Telephone"). And you don't have to be into wearing dresses made of meat or bubbles in order to experience the post-breakup uptick in creativity and inspiration. If you've ever read Eat Pray Love, you know what I'm talking about.

Speaking of the breakup heroine, Elizabeth Gilbert ... After a divorce and a breakup, she had more time to enjoy life, party, take risks, and make a slew of new friends who helped her craft a new life. When we're devoting ourselves to one person in a relationship, it's sad, but we often struggle to foster some of the other relationships in our life. And how much time do we really have to make new friends? Truthfully, not as much as when we're single! Fine, call me a sap who has always fallen for flicks like Steel Magnolias/Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but I'm a strong believer that women need female friendships. While we're both in and out of relationships, but hey, maybe even a little more post-breakup. The support of a girlfriend is unmatched.

And even being by yourself can be a gift in itself. I see it all the time -- women who have been serial monogamists or even those who have been in "secure" but not necessarily right-for-them relationships, who suddenly find themselves alone and single for the first time after a bad breakup. They may flounder for a little bit, but ultimately come to realize that the solo time gives them a chance to hear themselves think! To figure out who they really are and what they really want. Even though I pretty much always wished I was in a relationship at any given time in my single life, I now realize the time I spent searching or brokenhearted really shaped who I am. I'm grateful I had that chance to actually get to know myself, so I could be even more genuine in my relationships.

So, while she may have to suffer through some loneliness and heartache, I have a feeling Gaga's going to be great without Luc Carl ... for now. The truth is, we'd all be more than okay without significant others. That's why a breakup can be an amazing opportunity, offering the time and space we need to realize and embrace that important truth.